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Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Parsnip Potato Mash

January 7, 2018 By Caroline 7 Comments

Melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone, rich and delicious, these short ribs will warm the coldest winter night. Braised with Cabernet Franc and parsnips, the gravy develops a rich flavour with a subtle peppery depth. Even better the next day, this is a perfect make-ahead meal elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, yet equally suited to a casual family dinner.

Cabernet Franc braised shortrib with parsnip potato mash

To begin, the short-ribs need to be cut parallel to the bone, also known as “English style”, so that there is one bone per piece.  Avoid flanken “Korean style” cut ribs for this recipe, as the meat is cut much thinner and wouldn’t work as well with the long braising time. Below are the ribs straight from the butcher, I had them cut the ribs which were originally closer to 5″ long in half, into more manageable 2.5″ pieces as shown below. All together I had about 6 lbs of meaty ribs—this is pretty much the max amount my generous dutch oven would hold.

You can see from the photo below that the meat is well-marbled with fat. The braising process slowly and gently cooks this fat so that it renders down leaving silky soft meat that falls right off the bone. I highly recommend making this a day in advance so that you can easily remove all the fat from the gravy—when you chill the broth in the fridge all the fat floats to the top and hardens so that you can just lift it out in a large piece. The remaining broth will be wonderfully enhanced by natural collagens from the bones giving your gravy natural body and thickness.

Notice the generous marbling of fat in the bone-in short rib meat

To build the flavour profile of your braise, it is critical to get a good sear on the ribs. I had to do mine in two batches to avoid overcrowding. Go with high heat and make sure they sizzle when they hit the pot. You want a deep brown colour on the seared areas, and also look for some browned bits of meat to begin to stick to the bottom of the pot—you’ll scrape up all those bits later and they form the flavour base for your broth.

Browning shortrib meat in pot over high heat

Once all the ribs are well-browned, remove them to a bowl and set aside. Add the onions to the pot and cook until they start to turn golden, about 5–6 minutes. Add the parsnips for another 5–6 minutes, then add garlic and rosemary and cook some more.

Cook parsnips onions and rosemary

Once all the vegetables are golden, it’s time to add red wine and broth. A word on the type of wine: I find Cabernet Franc works really well for this dish. Generally this grape varietal is grown specifically to be blended with other grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, it has become popular in areas like Canada’s Niagara region as a varietal to enjoy on its own. It ripens a bit earlier than Cab Sauvignon so tends to fair better in the Canadian climate. I find Cab Francs tend to have a peppery quality with notes of tobacco and cassis that I really enjoy, while it goes lighter on the tannins. These qualities make it perfect to braise the short ribs and delivers a beautiful gravy when paired with the parsnip, rosemary, onion and garlic.

Braise short ribs in red wine

The pot of ribs with wine and broth is placed into a preheated 325° oven where it gently braises for 2.5 hours. Once ready, the meat will have have shrunk considerably (as much of the fat will have melted away into the broth), and if you take a fork to it, the meat will be very soft and fall away in shreds. Often some bones will come loose while it cooks; you’ll find them floating freely in the broth. Once the meat is cooked, I find it is best to remove the ribs, setting them aside in a sealable container, and then transfer the cooled broth into another container to be chilled in the fridge overnight. This way you can easily remove the fat which will harden into a single piece on top of the broth. If you can’t bring yourself to wait and want to eat these immediately (which would be totally understandable!) allow the broth to sit without stirring for 5–10 minutes; you’ll notice the fat will sit on top of the broth (but being clear it is a bit hard to discern from the actual broth). I once skimmed almost two full cups of fat, and I was doubting myself, wondering if I was being over zealous and skimming broth rather than fat. I decided to freeze it to check, and sure enough, it was all solid hardened fat!

Whether you patiently wait overnight or skim off the fat while warm from the oven, the next step is to bring the broth to a simmer and add flour mixed with butter to thicken it into a light gravy, just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then the meat is added back into the sauce to be warmed up, ready for serving. Pureeing the parsnips further thickens the sauce.

Elegant wine-braised beef short rib

The short ribs are great served on your favourite mashed potato recipe, or to change things up you can make the parsnip-potato mash to compliment the sauce. Recipe for the parsnip mash is below.

Elegant wine-braised short ribs piled high on fluffy potato parsnip mash
5 from 1 vote
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Wine-braised beef short ribs

Melt-in-your-mouth short ribs are delicious and simple to make. Best made the day before to allow for the easiest removal of excess fat from the broth.

Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

Beef short ribs

  • 2 tbsp butter, divided
  • 6 lbs 2.5–3" meaty beef short ribs (about 8) "British cut"
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups parsnips, cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 750 ml Cabernet Franc (1 bottle)
  • 568 ml beef broth (2 regular size cans)
  • 1 tbsp flour

Parsnip Rosemary Potato Mash

  • 3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
  • 1 lb parsnips, cut into 3/4" pieces
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 stick butter (6 tbsp)
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

Short ribs

  1. Trim large fat from edges of ribs and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Melt better in an oven-safe dutch oven pot over medium high heat. Add ribs to pot and brown well on all sides (add ribs in at least two batches to ensure proper browning). Remove browned ribs to a large bowl and set aside.

  2. Add onions to pot and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add parsnips and cook until golden, another 5 minutes or so. Add garlic and rosemary, cook until garlic has softened slightly.

  3. Add the bottle of red wine and the beef broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return ribs to the pot, cover, and place into a preheated 325° oven. Braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

  4. Remove pot from oven, and transfer the ribs to a bowl. Check for any loose bones that may have come loose and are drifting in the broth, and remove. Using a slotted spoon, remove most of the parsnip pieces and reserve in a bowl. Ideally place the broth, parsnip pieces and meat in separate containers and refrigerate until the next day. 

  5. When ready to serve, remove the layer of fat from the broth and discard. Take about 1/4 cup of the broth and add to a small blender with the parsnip pieces, blend until smooth. Add parsnip puree into the broth, and bring the broth to a simmer. Mix 1 tablespoon of butter with the flour and blend into a paste. Add to the simmering pot to thicken the broth into a light gravy. Return meaty ribs to the pot and simmer over low heat until they are warmed through. Plate and serve with mashed potatoes.

Parsnip Rosemary Potato Mash

  1. Fill a large pot with water and add parsnips, potatoes and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes and parsnips are very soft. Drain.

  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, microwave milk and butter until the butter has melted and the milk is warm. Add to the cooked, drained potatoes and mash. Test for flavour and add salt if needed. Serve with short ribs and gravy.

Cabernet Franc braised beef short ribs

This recipe was based on Zinfandel-Braised Short Ribs over at Epicurious.

Filed Under: Main, Recipe Tagged With: beef, braise, cabernet franc, mash, parsnip, potato, red wine, rosemary, short rib, shortrib, slow food, stew, winter

Simple Summer Sides: Grilled Baby Potatoes

July 12, 2017 By Caroline Leave a Comment

Summer is all about taking it easy, recharging outside and soaking up the long days of sunshine. The last thing you want to do is spend all day in the kitchen. What you want are simple, delicious meals that are perfect enjoyed on a patio with a glass of wine. These potatoes deliver. Crisp, flavourful young potato skins pop with hits of coarse kosher salt that brings out the natural sweetness of the creamy potatoes. Rosemary adds just a hint of colour and delicate flavour.

Sprigs of Rosemary, freshly cut resting on a wood table

I grow the Rosemary right on my patio. I love rubbing a leaf between my fingers and taking in the scent. You just need a few sprigs, finely chopped, as your seasoning along with the kosher salt. I really prefer the coarse texture of kosher salt for these potatoes, to deliver a hit of flavour on the skins.

Potatoes in the pot

To start with, par-boil the potatoes for 8–10 minutes until they are starting to soften, but not fully cooked through. Don’t overcook them or your final product off the grill will be mushy.

Seasoned potatoes in a green bowl

Drain the potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and rosemary. Stir to combine.

Seasoned baby potatoes roast on the upper rack of the BBQ grill.

Next, toss the potatoes on the grill. I find the top rack works well to get a nice golden skin and soft, perfectly cooked insides. Once ready, transfer from the grill into the same bowl you seasoned them in, and toss them around in the olive oil and seasoning that’s left to give them a nice finish. Enjoy (careful, they get pretty hot right off the grill—cut one open to test before popping a whole one into your mouth) you’ve been warned!

The finished potatoes, grilled to perfection

 

The finished potatoes, grilled to perfection
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Grilled baby potatoes

Simple perfection, just four ingredients to bring out the natural sweetness and beautiful texture of new baby potatoes.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb Baby Potatoes (680 g)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 sprigs Fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • Kosher Salt

Instructions

  1. Scrub potatoes and set into a large pot filled with cold water. Bring to boil over high heat and cook for 8–10 minutes until they are partially cooked. (Overcooking here leads to a "mushy" texture after they are grilled. You are looking for a softened, but still firm, cook on the potatoes)

  2. Drain potatoes and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add rosemary, and sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Stir.

  3. Add potatoes to hot grill (400°). Grill until golden and skins are crisp, approximately 10 minutes. Test to ensure the potatoes are soft and fully cooked through—insert a sharp knife to the centre to ensure they are soft.

  4. Remove from grill back into the bowl, and stir to coat with a touch of olive oil and rosemary remaining in the bowl. Serve.

Filed Under: Recipe, Side Tagged With: baby potatoes, Easy, Grill, kosher salt, potato, rosemary, summer, summer side

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Welcome to my kitchen journal, a place where I will share my favourite heritage recipes honed over the years, as well as document new evolutions and experiments along the way. Great feasts become vehicles for fond memories—the best meals are the ones someone made with love, for you. Follow me to explore traditions, document stories and experience the joy of the feast. Read More…

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